\n\t\t\t\t\tUnlike white rice and white pasta, white potatoes are a carb that can boast several health benefits when cooked the right way\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n
The poor maligned potato<\/a>. Despite the plant being a mainstay on our plates for hundreds of years, the humble white potato has been castigated for daring to be classed as a vegetable<\/a>. <\/p>\n Often making up the \u201ccarb<\/a>\u201d portion of our plates, the white potato has been lumped in with other refined carbohydrates like white pasta and rice<\/a> \u2013 filling but nutritionally sparse. But to write off potatoes as \u201cbad for you\u201d is not only foolish but fundamentally incorrect.<\/p>\n Emma Shafqat, paediatric dietitian, says \u201cthere\u2019s often mixed messaging because potatoes are commonly served in ways that reduce their nutritional value for example, deep-fried, heavily salted, or paired with toppings\u201d. <\/p>\n New FeatureIn ShortQuick Stories. Same trusted journalism.<\/p>\n The preparation method is what affects the nutritional value, rather than the tater itself. In fact, says Priya Tew, specialist dietitian from Dietitian UK and author to the complete Low Fodmap diet plan, \u201cswitching from a deep-fried chip to a steamed, skins-on, cooled-then-reheated potato turns a potato into a gut-health food<\/a>\u201d.<\/p>\n Thankfully the tide seems to be turning on \u201cpotatoes are bad for you\u201d. The far more humble preparation of a jacket potato<\/a>, for example, is having a resurgence \u2013 while public knowledge of UPFs<\/a> means many consumers will now be seeking the spud in its pure form, rather than in \u201cpotato-based snacks\u201d.<\/p>\n Ahead are all the reasons why a simple spud can indeed be classed as a health food, and a preferred option to white rice or pasta, according to experts. Whether you use these facts to justify a second portion of chips is entirely up to you.<\/p>\n Potatoes have more potassium than bananas\u00a0<\/p>\n White potatoes provide us with an array of nutrients, including: vitamin C (\u201cabout 30 per cent of your daily needs,\u201d Priya says), several B vitamins (including B6), as well as some iron and magnesium.<\/p>\n Even more impressively they are a significant source of potassium \u2013 \u201cone medium potato actually contains more potassium than a banana,\u201d Priya adds, \u201cwhich is crucial for blood pressure regulation.\u201d That amounts to 213g of potassium.<\/p>\n However, studies have found that<\/a> a lot of these nutrients are in the skins \u2013 so keep your peeler in the drawer.<\/p>\n Bake or boil to reap the benefits\u00a0<\/p>\n Like all plants, potatoes also contain a lot of antioxidants, Emma says, \u201csuch as flavonoids, carotenoids and phenolic acids. These compounds help reduce oxidative stress in the body\u201d. There are even some test-tube studies<\/a> that suggest these antioxidants might suppress growth of cancer cells in the liver and colon.<\/p>\n When it comes to preparation, Emma adds that \u201cantioxidant levels are highest when potatoes are baked or boiled with the skin on, and lowest when fried due to the high temperatures and added fats\u201d.<\/p>\n Potato salad\u2019s hidden perks<\/p>\n Potatoes are famously starchy, but when cooked the right way you can harness a particular form of starch to your advantage.<\/p>\n When potatoes are cooked and then cooled (like in a potato salad or to keep overnight and reheat the next day), a portion of their starch converts into \u201cresistant starch\u201d, Priya says. \u201cThis \u2018resists\u2019 digestion in the small intestine and reaches the large intestine where it acts as a prebiotic.\u201d <\/p>\n Resistant starch has been linked in one study<\/a> to aiding weight loss, while another<\/a> found that when people with type 2 diabetes found consuming a meal with resistant starch helped better remove excess blood sugar after a meal.<\/p>\n Great for digestion<\/p>\n When the resistant starch ferments in the colon it turns into short-chain fatty acids \u2013 specifically butyrate, which is the preferred source for gut bacteria. As Emma explains, \u201cbutyrate is beneficial for gut health because it supports the integrity of the gut lining, reduces inflammation, and provides an energy source for colon cells\u201d. Other plants that result in butyrate include underripe bananas and plantain, and some pulses.<\/p>\n In this way potatoes can actually aid digestion. In fact, butyrate has been linked in studies to reducing inflammation<\/a> in the colon and potentially aiding people<\/a> with inflammatory bowel disorders. <\/p>\n White potatoes much more filling than pasta<\/p>\n This is one of those facts that you probably didn\u2019t need to be told. But there are health benefits to the fact that boiled potatoes top what is known as the \u201csatiety index\u201d created in the 1990s by Australian researcher Dr Susanna Holt.<\/p>\n \u201c[Boiled potatoes] are significantly more filling than pasta, rice, or even steak. This means you feel full faster and stay full longer, which is a major win for big appetites and weight management,\u201d sys Priya . Emma agrees, adding that potatoes\u2019 specific combination of fibre, water, and type of starch \u201ccontributes to slower digestion and better appetite regulation compared with many refined carbohydrates\u201d.<\/p>\n